TOLEDO, Ohio — The Lucas County Opiate Coalition and is hosting their annual Chalk the Walk event in honor of International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31.
The event will consist of writing messages of hope, bracelet making, rock painting, decorating picture frames, yoga, as well as several food trucks. This is all to remember those who have been lost to drugs and overdose.
Chalk the Walk will feature local artists, family and friends who will create inspiring chalk art on the sidewalk of Promenade Park. Chalk will be provided for the public and community members to leave messages and drawings on the surrounding sidewalks.
There will also be a remembrance ceremony at 5:45 p.m. which will be followed by the Reading of the Names which consists of names who have lost a loved one.
Locally, the number of overdoses have gone down, but officials from the Lucas County Health Department say they want to see that number drop even lower.
“In 2021, we saw 276 [overdoses] which is another decrease from 2020, so we are seeing overdoses trending down but we just want to remember that these are still elevated numbers and we definitely want to see more of an impact in the community,” added Mahjida Steffin, supervisor of injury prevention.
They will also pass out Narcan kits at the event. If you miss out, you can always get Narcan at the Lucas County Health Department during normal business hours.
The event will take place on Aug. 31 from 2 - 7 p.m. at Promenade Park.
MORE LOCAL HEADLINES FROM WTOL 11: